Back when I used to work here, while I was a fellow here, I wrote a great post called “How Your Resume is Like a Big Cat.” It brought together my work volunteering with survivors of human trafficking (helping them write resumes) with my start-up. Well, that place I used to work deleted all of my blog posts, and I didn’t gather copies, so I decided to re-write it for my class (“How to Get a Job”). I hope you enjoy it,
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In class we’ll look at some serious #resumefail, and take a look at a variety of funny resumes. Just remember, your resume is like a fluffy cat:
When cats need to impress someone, they fluff up (see above). They’re still the same cat underneath (see below). If they have good muscles, or smooth coats, or interesting-colored eyes, those are all the same. Just, on occasion, fluffier.
So when you’re writing your resume, remember: you can use fluffier language as long as you’re still describing the same cat. I rely on this list of action words to fluff up my resume:
-A-Accelerated
Accomplished
Achieved
Adapted
Administered
Advised
Analyzed
Arranged
Assembled
Assumed responsibility-B-Balanced
Blazed
Billed
Built-C-Carried out
Channeled
Collected
Communicated
Compiled
Completed
Conceived
Conducted
Controlled
Contracted
Coordinated
Counseled
Created
Cut-D-
Delegated
Demonstrated
Designed
Determined
Developed
Directed
Dispatched
Distributed
Documented-E-
Earned
Edited
Effected
Eliminated
Enabled
Energized
Established
Evaluated
Expanded
Expedited-F-
Facilitated
Found
Functioned as-G-
Gained
Gathered
Generated
Graded
Graduated-H- Handled
Hired-I-
Increased
Influenced
Implemented
Improved
Initiated
Innovated
Inspected
Installed
Instituted
Instructed
Interpreted
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Issued-L-Launched
Lectured
Led-M-Maintained
Managed
Mastered
Met with
Modernized
Motivated-N-Negotiated
-O-
Operated
Optimized
Originated
Orchestrated
Ordered
Organized
Oversaw-P-
Participated
Performed
Pinpointed
Planned
Prepared
Presented
Produced
Programmed
Proved
Provided
Published
Purchased-R-
Recommended
Recorded
Recruited
Reduced
Referred
Reinforced
Represented
Researched
Revamped
Reviewed
Revised
Revitalized-S-
Saved
Scheduled
Screened
Served
Set up
Simplified
Sold
Solved
Spearheaded
Standardized
Steered
Structured
Suggested
Supervised
Supported
Surpassed-T-
Taught
Tested
Trained
Translated
Tripled
Typed-U-
Underwrote
Updated
Used-W-
Won
Wrote
PS: For those who want to know, the title of this post before the brackets was my proposed tag-line for the start-up. It was rejected, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love any sentence which includes both a heteronym and a homonym.
Inspirational Quote:
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”–M. Kathleen Casey
